Stagecoach Arriving
Frank Morgan came to Randsburg in the early part of 1897 and realized that there was a need for an oil distribution business. He opened a store to specialize in that product in partnership with a man by the name of Rogers. He brought the oil in to town in large tanks and provided custom made cans to his customers for their oil. The oil was delivered from a large wagon with a tank on it. He also ran a passenger and baggage wagon between Randsburg and the train station in Johannesburg.
In December of 1907 Jack Harrison was involved in a shooting which resulted in the death of Constable John Arnold of Randsburg. The shooting took place aboard a horse drawn bus which had come from Johannesburg carrying a group of young men who had been celebrating the holiday season. The bus stopped at Pat Byrne's Mountain View Saloon for a while and then proceeded down the road toward Andy Nixon's Saloon. During the short ride down the hill Constable Arnold sat at the rear of the bus and Jack was standing on the back step, when a flash was observed and according to the Bakersfield paper the Morning Echo, John Arnold said "I am shot, Jack you pulled the trigger." The bullet entered John's thigh and would have passed straight through had it not encountered a ten-cent piece, which changed its course. This was not considered to be dangerous, however, John took cold and his liver was not in good condition and he died several days later. An inquest was held in Randsburg and testimony was given that Jack had joined the party in going to Randsburg. There were conflicting statements as to whether the gun that fired the shot was Arnold's gun or Jack's gun and the jury rendered a verdict that they were unable to determine who fired the bullet.
The photographer C. W. Tucker's shadow can be seen in the foreground.
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Retrieved 1/2/2019: Online Archive of California
